This "virtual newspaper for an aquatic world" contains musings, science, facts and opinions-both profound and mundane-about the River region, its people and natural resources, and their nexus to the Washington, DC scene.
Comments and other written contributions are always appreciated.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Drought, Farm Bill and Disaster Assistance Chess

With the latest drought map and report showing widespread drought intensification over the central United States, House Republican leaders were on track to scheduling a potential vote for next week on disaster relief for livestock and specialty crop producers (several such disaster assistance programs that were in the 2008 Farm Bill expired last year). And several key House and Senate leaders have made incremental moves during the week implying that such a disaster relief vote could clear a heretofore blocked path to enacting a Farm Bill. However, the end game and ultimate scope of that farm-food legislation are still very murky. The legislative path could include a disaster relief bill, a full blown, five-year Farm Bill, a one-year Farm Bill stop-gap extension, or some combination of the above. To read more details, including how the drought-farm-food chess game played out this week on Capitol Hill, see our earlier analysis here and the news stories linked under "Farm Bill," below. To read more details on and link to the three livestock and specialty crop producer disaster relief bills currently introduced in Congress see this listing.

How people consume political news - the major media streams represented in one chart http://wapo.st/NJToiG

Democratic outside groups playing active role in defining GOP US Senate primary candidates in Missouri and Wisconsin http://bit.ly/PMoZSN

Last Word
“Sec. Vilsack, all Iowa delegation already agrees we need a farm bill now. Your time is far better spent in Ohio or Virginia this weekend.” - Tweet from House Agriculture Committee Member Steve King (R-IA), reflecting King's belief that it is Ohio's House Speaker Boehner and Virginia's House Majority Leader Cantor who are blocking movement on the Farm Bill.